An introduction
to the poem: King
Joao II (or John II) was probably the most influential Portuguese
king in terms of world history. He devised and set the objectives
that were to persist and direct the Portuguese expansion: the domain
over sea routes without (whenever possible) territorial conquest
of countries requiring manpower that the country could ill afford;
and the reach for the spice lands and particularly for India (Prince
Henry before him had started the Age of Discovery but, as far as
is known today, never set India as a goal). It was also under John
II that the modern concept of exploration was applied: Diogo Cao,
Bartolomeu Dias, Pero da Covilha, Duarte Pacheco Pereira and others
left Lisbon with the sole intent of gathering information on new
lands, winds and populations without any concern of immediate commercial
gains.